Online Encyclopedia

1940 in aviation

This is a list of aviation-related events from 1940:

March

March 16 - Britain suffers its first civilian air-raid casualties of the war after a raid by KG 26 on Scapa Flow
March 25 - the US government grants permission to the country's aircraft manufacturers to sell advanced combat aircraft to nations fighting the Axis powers.

April

April 9 - Germany invades Denmark and Norway, making extensive use of paratroops
April 13 - the Royal Air Force begins deploying sea mines around Germany's coastal waters.
April 24-28 - aircraft carrier HMS Glorious evacuates the Gloster Gladiators of No. 263 Squadron RAF from Norway

May

May 10 - Germany invades the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. Paratroops again play a key role.
May 13 - the Sikorsky VS-300 , which made its first flight the previous year, makes its first untethered flight.
May 15-16 - British bombers make their first attack on German land targets, in the Ruhr Valley

June

June 4 - BOAC commences a twice-weekly service between England and Portugal, scheduled to connect with Pan Am flights from Lisbon to New York.
June 8 - after a second expedition to Norway, HMS Glorious is sunk by German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau.
June 10 - Italy declares war on Britain and its allies and begins an aerial assault on Malta.

July

July 1 - the Battle of Britain commences with the German occupation of the Channel Islands.

August

August 15 - the heaviest fighting of the Battle of Britain occurs, with the loss of 46 British and 76 German aircraft.
August 25-26 - Britain makes its first air raid on Berlin of the war.
August 31 - Polish 303 Squadron , the most efficient allied unit of the Battle of Britain, enters action.

September

September 7 - Hermann Göring orders the Luftwaffe to stop targeting British airfields and attack London itself instead.
September 7-September 8 - the largest mass air combat in history takes place over Britain, with 1,200 British and German aircraft operating in an area of only 24 x 48 km (15 x 30 miles).
September 15 - Germany makes its heaviest daylight raid on London
September 30 - the Battle of Britain is said to be over, with Hitler's planned invasion of Britain ("Operation Seelöwe") postponed indefinitely.

October

October 8 - No. 71 Squadron RAF , "Eagle Squadron" is formed, comprising American volunteers.
October 8 - Josef Frantisek, the Czech ace (17 victories) - the most efficient allied pilot of the Battle of Britain, died in an aircrash.

November

November 5 - four RAF squadrons are deployed to Greece to support the country against Italian attacks.
November 11 - regular ferry flight s of US-built warplanes commence across the Atlantic.
November 11-12 - Fairey Swordfish from HMS Illustrious make a highly successful raid against Italian Navy ships at Taranto, damaging the Italian battleship Cavour beyond repair, and extensively damaging two others, the Littorio and the Duilio .
November 14-15 - 437 Luftwaffe aircraft make a massed air raid on Coventry. 380 civilians are killed and some 800 wounded.